LONDON: The Middle East media group MBC has won the regional broadcast rights for the FIA Formula One World Championship, it was announced on Friday. 

The region鈥檚 largest media company will air the championship across the Middle East and North Africa, starting this season until 2023. 

The deal will see the return of the world鈥檚 biggest motorsport event to a free-to-air network in the region, following years of being available on subscription-only networks. 

The rights were previously held by the Qatar-owned beIN Sports, which charges its subscribers. This is the second to the Doha based broadcaster only a few days after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ended the Qatari broadcaster鈥檚 monopoly of broadcasting competition matches in 萝莉视频.  The decision, which ended BeIN鈥檚 sole control of AFC鈥檚 Champions League matches in 萝莉视频, was hinged on communications and legal grounds, including the Qatari company鈥檚 鈥渟ystemic violations it committed against the Kingdom鈥檚 regulations.鈥�

The F1 championship will now be free to watch on MBC Action, with the channel covering all stages of each event, including training sessions, qualifiers, and Grand Prix day. 

鈥淭he FIA Formula One World Championship is the most prestigious and popular year-long motor- sport event par excellence鈥� said Mazen Hayek, MBC鈥檚 spokesman. 

鈥淢BC Action is thrilled to broad- cast it free-to-air to millions of fans in 萝莉视频 and across MENA, after having been encrypted and subscription-based, for years. 

鈥淭his falls in line with MBC Group鈥檚 long-established commitment to offer the best premium content of all genres, free-to-air, to audiences across MENA, with the region鈥檚 vibrant youth mind.鈥� 

The deal is through an agreement between MBC Group and the FIA (F茅d茅ration Internationale de l鈥橝utomobile). 

The 2019 season commenced on Friday, with the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2019 in Melbourne.